Barnett became available after we’d signed Niukore though, and the cap was already full.
Bradman Best discussion
- Thread starter Joshhh
- Start date
It’s Best though. There is no doubt if he stays on the field he is a top 3 centre in attack and defence. So Sully saying “nah” but Holbrook apparently literally taking over it because he knew it was imperative we keep him for Premierships runs. You don’t lose one of the best centres in the game when there is a chance to keep him.
If by 28 with new cap we can find coin to pay him close to 1mil which is apparently around 800k now. Then absolutely we do it. He has taken a pay cut before so fair he’s trying to push for more $$
If by 28 with new cap we can find coin to pay him close to 1mil which is apparently around 800k now. Then absolutely we do it. He has taken a pay cut before so fair he’s trying to push for more $$
bremsstrahlung
Peter Shiels
From the recruitment thread.
I think at the time, the signing made a lot of sense, get the depth we needed. Everyone thought we were a bit light on with forward depth in March. Not too many complaints.
We had missed out on a few targets and there wasn’t much on the market likely to become available. So potentially we overpaid, to get a deal done and lock in a decent forward.
Seems from this, the timeline was that we were probably well entwined with Niukore when Barnet became available.
The things that have lead to a bit of criticism have unfolded after the signing - Crouch, Hopwood and Croker (even the emergence of McEwen and Francis) playing great and developing faster than we’d have imagined, Niukore out of favour at Warriors playing reserve grade for the year.
The price tag speculated that was probably fair to get him in March has since become overs based on the above, along with with the success of the squad and increased profile of a lot of our players likely commanding a few more $$$ on their next contract.
Back to Best.
Initial offer from POS obviously has stung him a little - seems a bit out of character to fire that barb. And not something we see a lot of.
“Just leaving it to my manager to sort out, I’m just focussed on playing my best footy in the green and gold this Saturday” would have been the PR trained response.
I’m very much in the, would love to re-sign Best. But not at the 1M Eels offer amount.
I’d love to avoid a lot of the ratchets in the squad - I think smart clubs will find themselves with a bit of spare change to go after some bigger players with a cap increase - but I could live with Sharpe, Best and Hopwood getting ratchets.
(Just as an aside - what happens with all those “fair price” rules, if we get to November 1 and Eels come in with 1M. Is that then Best’s ‘value’ or are they mostly around PNG flaunting the system. Can he then sign with us for $800K and not raise any alarms? Or would the deal be scrutinised?)
Ok, not quite the timeline I had in my head, but I think pretty close to done when Barnett became available.
And yes, we were a hard sell in March, wooden spooners, looked like we desperately needed a middle forward, and Niukore started every game in 2025 for a team that finished two points out of the top four.
Easy to criticise in hindsight. I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings to the team in 2027, I think he’ll surprise a few people.
slotmachine
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
True. But he mostly played second row, which we have coming out the wazoo, and his numbers for the season were like 70m and 20 tackles a game.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
- I don't think we'll consider going over $1 million on the current cap + ratchets. Would not be feasible. If he just wants money he'll go to Parra. I would imagine $820K + ratchets is a final offer.
- The point of those rules is just to stop Easts and Brisbane being able to beat everyone to every gun player. Eg to make it so if the Roosters do want Fletcher Sharpe as some have suggested on here, they can't underbid us by a large amount and get him anyway.
POS dramatically improved our roster by making tough calls, he also stood firm telling players what their value is which no doubt ruffled some feathers.
However to be successful you need people like him making those tough calls, I just hope with him gone we don't end up back to our old ways.
However to be successful you need people like him making those tough calls, I just hope with him gone we don't end up back to our old ways.
What I think means nothing, but I’m leaning more and more towards letting Best go, using the cash to upgrade and keeping a back row of Francis, McEwen and Mulherin. We’d just need to find a centre, whether that’s Hunt, Sharpe, Lucas or another junior coming through.
I must also add, as a long-term member but rare poster, I reckon the negativity around Niukore is pretty **** form, IMO. Does anyone actually know the exact figure we’re paying him? He hasn’t even pulled on our colours yet and he’s already being written off by some of the best fans in the league, apparently.
Give the bloke a go. I get that criticism comes with the territory, but if he wears our colours, we should support him. If he’s not up to it, I trust our incredible coaching staff to make the right call.
I believe we’re well past the days of being a retirement village.
Just my two cents. And I’ve been guilty of bagging players also, not innocent. Just been a tough read of late the constant criticism of him imo
I must also add, as a long-term member but rare poster, I reckon the negativity around Niukore is pretty **** form, IMO. Does anyone actually know the exact figure we’re paying him? He hasn’t even pulled on our colours yet and he’s already being written off by some of the best fans in the league, apparently.
Give the bloke a go. I get that criticism comes with the territory, but if he wears our colours, we should support him. If he’s not up to it, I trust our incredible coaching staff to make the right call.
I believe we’re well past the days of being a retirement village.
Just my two cents. And I’ve been guilty of bagging players also, not innocent. Just been a tough read of late the constant criticism of him imo
The fair price rules are around 2 competing clubs outside the club they are at i believe, essentially he can stay here for less than a rival. Otherwise you could have other clubs deliberatly inflating and skewing the current clubs cap on purpose.
Even though they did exactly that with DCE, I believe? (Could be wrong, but I thought Manly had a much larger offer on the table).
I'll be absolutely astonished if we find a way of keeping Manuleleua ... he's got the skill, influence on games and x-factor that attracts huge contracts. And seems to relish the big stage. POS did really well to extend him to 2028.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
That's why there was a huge lag between it being confirmed DCE was leaving and him ending up at Easts.
1. DCE confirms the season will be his last, 2. Fogarty signs with Manly, then 3. A full 6 months later DCE's new contract with Easts is signed off on by the auditor.
It's all sort of underhanded but because so much time had passed and it had sort of just passively become the case that opportunities to play in the NRL for a guy his age had suddenly become very limited, he's treated as having a lower market valuation.
He cost himself a few hundred k out of spite but I'm sure the ring feels vindicating.
1. DCE confirms the season will be his last, 2. Fogarty signs with Manly, then 3. A full 6 months later DCE's new contract with Easts is signed off on by the auditor.
It's all sort of underhanded but because so much time had passed and it had sort of just passively become the case that opportunities to play in the NRL for a guy his age had suddenly become very limited, he's treated as having a lower market valuation.
He cost himself a few hundred k out of spite but I'm sure the ring feels vindicating.
Grandpa Joe
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Basically.
Benji factor behind big Tigers coup; Warriors star confirms contract call: NRL Daily
Benji factor behind big Tigers coup; Warriors star confirms contract call: NRL Dailywww.foxsports.com.au
Atleast in their oppinion.
Literally comes down to we can't keep everyone and I have to say with Bradman's petulance I wouldn't be upset to see him move on.
Not as if his on a minimum contract or anything.
Still think Safiti is a much more vital cog.
Reeks of Antonio Kaufusi -AK47 from qld cup in the Rick Stone days, neither has had a good game in 3 years prior to signing. Both 3 year deals lol.
slotmachine
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Would have come with a tasty upgrade in 2027 I'm sure but definitely a good outcome for us (and him presumably).
frankLauda
Matthew Johns
I’d be shocked if the new offer the Knights have tabled Bradman he leaves. Yes he had a dig at POS and then said “he is gone now so hopefully we can get a deal done”. So the Knights upped the offer, I say Best will take that to remain in Newcastle.
Common sense tells me the reason for the all the rachet style contracts coming up is the obviously the cap increase and how much. As has been mentioned makes sense it’s a percentage based on what the actual increase will be.
And that gives me hope that the offer to keep Best is good play by the Knights. And then when the increase does happen we can sort the next contracts with Sharpe, Hopwood and hopefully both our second rowers because there is more money to play with.
Common sense tells me the reason for the all the rachet style contracts coming up is the obviously the cap increase and how much. As has been mentioned makes sense it’s a percentage based on what the actual increase will be.
And that gives me hope that the offer to keep Best is good play by the Knights. And then when the increase does happen we can sort the next contracts with Sharpe, Hopwood and hopefully both our second rowers because there is more money to play with.
I feel like we went through the same ex that isn't jealous/dodged a bullet stuff like we did with Ponga. Assuming he would want a massive pay rise, despite missing games. "We'll save money and the drop off wont be as much with the next guy in" even though it almost always is (the drop off), thinking they're going to play too hard ball...Already accepting defeat.
But the reality is we're next level with them as the first choice and as we have seen this year, are the kind of guys that get you into Grand Finals...
If he does re-sign, it'll feel like a huge win like it did with guys like Lucas and Ponga.
But the reality is we're next level with them as the first choice and as we have seen this year, are the kind of guys that get you into Grand Finals...
If he does re-sign, it'll feel like a huge win like it did with guys like Lucas and Ponga.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Nailed it R_A.
Also noting that Bradman is about as ideal a centre to play outside Ponga on that left edge as can be imagined... so much of our attack down there is predicated on getting Ponga at the 3 or 4 man, force some difficult decisions, and then based on what the defence is doing, there's the options of trying to burn his man, playing early to his centre, playing late to his edge forward, throwing the cut out, etc.
Bradman leading the team in direct try assists tells you plenty about the synergy between them. The defence decides very often that the lesser of all the evils is to just make sure Sharpe & Ponga + the lead line are covered, which can often mean playing early to Bradman, and then the decision-making is on him: quick hands, take his man on, or try to draw 2 and throw the flick pass. Literally only Latrell Mitchell is better at this stuff in this position IMO.
I think Fletcher Hunt has played some pretty good footy deputising for him but I think it's fair to say a lot of Hunt's tries/involvements are a little more spoonfed and he's less trusted to be a lynchpin of what we do in attack on that edge. Not a criticism of Fletcher but that's what we'd lose if we lost Bradman, on top of the defence.
Simply put, you keep that left edge attack of Sharpe, Ponga, Lucas, Best together, that's easy, repeatable try scoring actions down that edge, all the time, for years to come.
Then on the right edge you've got the best defensive 7 in the game (so you maybe don't need your most elite defensive second row/centre there) and, no matter who else we keep, you've got a cheat code winger who'll allow you to punish teams for loading up too heavy to stop the left edge.
Pretty clear template for always having a dangerous attack and league-leading defence on both edges, and I think that's the foundation of this team atm. A team that's always in the game even if they're not on top in the yardage battle.
Also noting that Bradman is about as ideal a centre to play outside Ponga on that left edge as can be imagined... so much of our attack down there is predicated on getting Ponga at the 3 or 4 man, force some difficult decisions, and then based on what the defence is doing, there's the options of trying to burn his man, playing early to his centre, playing late to his edge forward, throwing the cut out, etc.
Bradman leading the team in direct try assists tells you plenty about the synergy between them. The defence decides very often that the lesser of all the evils is to just make sure Sharpe & Ponga + the lead line are covered, which can often mean playing early to Bradman, and then the decision-making is on him: quick hands, take his man on, or try to draw 2 and throw the flick pass. Literally only Latrell Mitchell is better at this stuff in this position IMO.
I think Fletcher Hunt has played some pretty good footy deputising for him but I think it's fair to say a lot of Hunt's tries/involvements are a little more spoonfed and he's less trusted to be a lynchpin of what we do in attack on that edge. Not a criticism of Fletcher but that's what we'd lose if we lost Bradman, on top of the defence.
Simply put, you keep that left edge attack of Sharpe, Ponga, Lucas, Best together, that's easy, repeatable try scoring actions down that edge, all the time, for years to come.
Then on the right edge you've got the best defensive 7 in the game (so you maybe don't need your most elite defensive second row/centre there) and, no matter who else we keep, you've got a cheat code winger who'll allow you to punish teams for loading up too heavy to stop the left edge.
Pretty clear template for always having a dangerous attack and league-leading defence on both edges, and I think that's the foundation of this team atm. A team that's always in the game even if they're not on top in the yardage battle.
The Warriors granted Barnett an early release from his final year of his contract on February 24. We announced Niukore’s signing on April 13.
I dont care if Best moves on to chase extra money.
Yes he is a good player and would be good in our team.
I often think of Lucas, Sharpe and Manuleleua are very good left side players all three could play left centre just as good as Best.
I honestly think we would lose nothing if Best moves on.
Yes he is a good player and would be good in our team.
I often think of Lucas, Sharpe and Manuleleua are very good left side players all three could play left centre just as good as Best.
I honestly think we would lose nothing if Best moves on.